The California Department of Technology has redesigned the state’s online directory to improve the way agency, department and employee information is accessed. The enhanced California Online Directory offers a new look and easier navigation for users. The directory, https://cold.govops.ca.gov, continues to offer approximately 250 state agency and department’s general information, employees’ telephone number and email address, Executive Branch’s organizational chart, and 9-1-1 instructions for emergency situations. Additional features to the directory include a mobile friendly design, Americans with Disabilities Act and security compliance, and an improved support model between the California Department of Technology and agencies and departments for managing data.

The California State Fair is now accepting nominations for the 2017 Champion of Technology Awards. Two technology champions will be selected for remarkable contributions to California’s technology industry; one in the Individual Category, one in the Product/Organization Category. The deadline to apply is Friday, January 20, 2017.

Since 1854, the California State Fair has showcased the best of the best, including the progress
and advancements of the state’s strongest industries. Now in 2017, the California State Fair
celebrates the 50th anniversary at the Cal Expo site. On this golden year, and as California
continues to lead the world in innovation and technological achievements, the California State Fair
is honored to present the Champion of Technology Awards.

Nominees must demonstrate a benefit to California through commendable technological
achievement. The 2016 Champion of Technology Award recipients were: Eric Brown, President
and CEO of California Telehealth Network; Emergency Call and Tracking System by Direct
Technology. The 2017 winners will receive their Champion of Technology awards at the annual
State Fair Gala on Thursday, June 22, 2017.

About the California State Fair
For more than 160 years, the California State Fair has showcased the best of the Golden State. During the 2016 State Fair at Cal Expo nearly 675,000 people experienced the best and made memories that will last a lifetime. Cal Expo was dedicated as a place to celebrate California’s achievements, industries, agriculture, diversity of its people, traditions and trends that shape the Golden State’s future. As such, the California State Fair is honored to celebrate its 50th anniversary at Cal Expo in 2017. Join us for the California State Fair July 14-30, 2017.

California Department of Technology (CDT) managed service customers, using Oracle licenses, should be aware of changes to the levels of support, as described below.

Oracle Premier Support for release 11.2 ended in January 2015, and the Extended Support will end in December 2020. There is no cost for the Extended Support through May 2017; Oracle will provide the cost for the June 2017 through December 2020 time frame at a later date.

Oracle Extended Support for release 11.1 and earlier releases has ended. Users of these releases are now eligible for Sustaining Support only, which does not include security patches, and are therefore at greater risk for security compromises.

California state agencies today teamed up with the White House Council on Environmental Quality to launch the California Water Data Challenge, a competition to develop innovative, data-based tools that help California address its ongoing drought and assure a reliable, sustainable water system for the future.

The California Water Data Challenge invites individuals and teams to develop apps, websites, data visualizations and other tools that leverage publicly available datasets in novel ways to support creative solutions to California’s water challenges, as outlined in the Brown administration’s California Water Action Plan. The deadline for entries is Monday, Dec. 5, and awards will be announced on Friday, Dec. 9.

“This challenge allows us to take the data we have today and actually use it to far greater effect—to benefit water quality, ecosystem management, or any aspect of managing water resources,” said Felicia Marcus, chair of the State Water Resources Control Board. “We have learned that the creative energy this type of event generates in a short period of time yields phenomenal benefits, so we are grateful to the Council on Environmental Quality for partnering with us on this project.”

The data challenge is guided by the California Water Action Plan, which serves as a roadmap to put California on a sustainable water management path. Based on the plan’s objectives, participants are asked to address how data might be used to help achieve more reliable water supplies, restore important species and wildlife habitat, and make California’s water systems more resilient. The Water Action Plan highlights the need for more accessible data to help achieve these broad goals.

Participants are invited to use publicly available data to create tools that focus on specific challenges outlined in the Water Action Plan, including: uncertain water supplies; water scarcity/drought; declining groundwater supplies; poor water quality; declining native fish species and loss of wildlife habitat; floods; supply disruptions; and population growth and climate change.

“We have an opportunity to invite the tech community to share innovative, data-driven solutions to address California’s water challenges,” said Mark Cowin, director of the California Department of Water Resources. “California is facing climate change head on with increasingly extreme weather conditions. Water conservation is the new norm. Smart use of data will help all Californians better adapt to our water realities, both today and in the long-term future.”

Participants will have access to a wide variety of water-related datasets available through the State of California’s Open Data Portal and the National Water Quality Monitoring Council, which maintains a data portal housing water quality information from federal agencies. Other water-related datasets can also be obtained from the agencies that collect and maintain water data in California.

Those interested in participating must submit their entries by 5 p.m., Monday, Dec. 5. Judging and announcement of the awards will take place on Dec. 9. For more information on the challenge and how to get involved, visit the California Water Data Challenge website at waterchallenge.data.ca.gov/. A virtual check-in meeting will be held Nov. 10 for participants to ask questions and share initial concepts. You can learn more about the California Water Data Challenge from the White House Council on Environmental Quality’s announcement.

Government Collaboration to Benefit All Public Entities

Sacramento/La Mirada & Berkeley, California– The California Department of Technology (CDT) announced today that it will connect the state government’s network to the Corporation for Education Networking in California (CENIC). CENIC is California’s ultra-fast 100Gbps research and education network, designed to build stronger digital connections to California’s innovators, researchers, educators and students.

This connection has been made possible by the City of Sacramento, which signed a long-term fiber sharing agreement with CDT. The agreement enables the state to use Sacramento’s fiber assets and CENIC members to utilize the state’s technology service offerings.

CENIC’s Charter Associates form one of the world’s largest education and research systems. Members include the University of California, California’s K-12 system, California Community Colleges, the California State University and California’s public libraries. CENIC also provides connectivity for its members to leading-edge institutions and industry research organizations around the world, serving the public as a catalyst for a vibrant California.

“This agreement plays a significant role in improving the delivery, efficiency and security of government services in the State of California,” said Chris Cruz, CDT’s Chief Deputy Director of Operations. “Now we can extend these services to CENIC’s research and education community thanks to Sacramento’s willingness to collaborate on solutions across government entities.”

CENIC’s 10,000 member institutions will now have access to the state’s technology service offerings, including its CalCloud Portfolio, the State of California’s private cloud, with service offerings such as compute, networking, storage and disaster recovery. CDT can also help CENIC members acquire assessment, planning and implementation service contracts to enable migration to additional CDT services.

An important benefit of the CalCloud IaaS is its security posture. CalCloud was designed, built, tested and operated according to the set of controls and processes defined by the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program.

“The state’s CalCloud is the first of its kind — a private, secure, multi-vendor platform for public sector organizations and institutions — and, as such, of immense potential value to CENIC’s research and education community,” said Louis Fox, President and CEO of CENIC. “CENIC’s CalREN network is the ideal backplane for our community to access this rich resource, enabling high-speed, private, and secure access to CalCloud for our members, and demonstrates the power of cross-sector collaboration among the private sector, government agencies, and education institutions.”

This agreement will also enable Sacramento to participate in statewide data-sharing initiatives with other cities who are connected — or will soon connect — to the CalREN network and to California’s academic research community. This will embolden a platform for sharing and analyzing data, and enabling the exchange of best practices and new applications across California’s public entities. CENIC is advancing the Smart Cities movement through high capacity collection, use and sharing of city-scale data and information technology.

“This is a tremendous success story and a great example of leveraging a city asset that is not being fully utilized, in return for a significant benefit to both the city and the state. This is government at its best,” said Maria MacGunigal, Chief Information Officer at the City of Sacramento. “The opportunity to participate in statewide open data initiatives with other cities will allow us to share our best practices and benefit from those of other cities across the state.”

About the California Department of Technologywww.cio.ca.gov
The mission of the California Department of Technology is to support programs and departments in the delivery of state services and information to citizens and businesses through agile, cost-effective, innovative, reliable and secure technology.

About the Sacramento Department of Information Technology www.cityofsacramento.org/Information-Technology
The mission of the Department of Information Technology is to ensure IT investments and strategic business technologies are customer focused, sound, and deliver the highest possible value to the City and its constituents.

About CENICwww.cenic.org
CENIC connects California to the world—advancing education and research statewide by providing the world-class network essential for innovation, collaboration, and economic growth. This nonprofit organization operates the California Research & Education Network (CalREN), a high-capacity network designed to meet the unique requirements of over 20 million users, including the vast majority of K-20 students together with educators, researchers, and other vital public-serving institutions.